Water play structures are known in the art, as are water construction toys. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,820,472 and 5,649,867 are directed to portable water play structures which are assembled for outdoor, backyard play. These water structures are comprised of a plurality of conduit members and connectors adapted to be connected together to form a free standing frame. Water is provided through an ordinary garden hose.
A similar water toy construction kit is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,336, which includes a plurality of tube elements and mating connectors, with an adapter to connect the structure to a garden hose.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,472 relates to a water construction toy for mounting on a vertical surface. The toy relies on the force of gravity to flow water from a central reservoir component through various fluid-conveying and operated toys. The reservoir must be kept filled for the toy parts to function. While perhaps entertaining, the toy does not facilitate indoor showering, even if used on a conventional, vertical shower/bathtub wall, because there is no pressure driven water stream and no components which function as showering devices. Moreover, while the patent provides an illustration of an embodiment of the device with a garden hose attached, presumably for outside play, the toy still relies upon filling of the reservoir and the force of gravity to flow water from the reservoir to the toy components. Thus, this outdoor embodiment does not facilitate indoor showering use.
The shower water toy construction system of the invention is useful both as an entertaining water construction toy for a child and as a means to facilitate indoor showering in any age user. The water toy construction system of the invention is unique in that it: (1) utilizes pressure driven water from a shower head, which is directed through a system of components that may be added to and removed from the system through various interconnecting means, (2) allows for parental control of the amount of water used, and (3) limits the water supply to a flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute. In addition, a pressure regulator, built into the system, limits the water pressure to downstream water delivery components to no greater than about 35 psi.
The construction system comprises a number of downstream water delivery components, including but not limited to shutoff (on/off) valves, diverter valves, semi-rigid and flexible pipe water conduits, spraying pipes, spraying shower curtain and bath tub mat, end sprayer, and other spraying or water delivery devices. Generally, downstream water delivery components can be connected into the system in any order that is consistent with their end configurations (male/female) and that facilitates the directional flow of water further downstream to other components. As is expected with a “construction” device, some assembly is needed to connect the system to the pre-existing shower water pipe stem and to connect the components to each other and the shower/bath walls.
The construction components of the instant invention offer significant advantages in control of water flow, ease of assembly, disassembly and use, indoor use, and facilitation of shower functions, as compared to other water construction toys previously known.
It is an object of the invention to provide a shower water toy construction system that is educational, entertaining and functional as an indoor shower system.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method to limit water flow to the system to avoid water waste, while still providing the educational, entertainment and functional (shower) benefits of the system.
Another object of the invention is to provide an entertaining and functional water construction and shower system, which is easy and safe to use and requires minimal adult supervision when used by a child or a person with disabilities.
A further object of the invention is to provide a shower water construction system that utilizes the pre-existing shower water pipe stem for a pressurized water source and standard shower/bath walls and is easy to install.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a spraying device comparable to, or in the nature of, a showerhead, which can be temporarily mounted low enough on a shower wall to facilitate use by those needing to shower in a seated position (e.g., persons with certain disabilities) and after use, be returned to another position on the shower wall.
Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the description provided herein.